Product packaging with foldable end cap

ABSTRACT

A display package ( 10 ) including a package sleeve ( 14 ) and one or more end caps ( 16,18 ) slideably inserted into the package sleeve. The package sleeve may have at least one open sleeve end and may define at least one transparent viewing window. The package sleeve may also have at least one foldable end flap ( 24 ) which may be folded inward toward the main end cap section with a portion thereof inserted through a respective lock slot ( 32 ) in the main cap section, thus locking the end cap in place. The one or more end caps may be designed to alter the shape of a package sleeve such as to increase the efficiency and ease of both the package assembly and product loading. The sleeve and end caps may be formed from a variety of materials including paper based materials or plastic based materials.

BACKGROUND

The present application is directed to a package design incorporating end caps and, more particularly, is directed to a package having at least one foldable end cap.

Current package designs are available that provide for easy viewing of the product stored therein, such as seen in US 2005/0247578; US 2006/0175339; U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,775; and US 2007/0246114, each of which is commonly assigned and hereby incorporated by reference thereto. These packages provide a clear plastic sleeve, facilitating viewing, and a pair of end caps. Such packages use pre-molded end caps and a snap-fit mechanism for attachment of at least the top end cap to the sleeve. Each of these two features has its drawbacks. First of all, the pre-molded end caps require a fairly complex injection molding and/or thermo-forming process to be produced, which unfavorably impacts both their production time and cost and which, further, may require an increased amount of material. Secondly, the snap-fit mechanisms of these packages do not generally promote easy removal of a given end cap by the consumer.

Thus, what is needed in the art is a clear package design that provides an end cap that is simple and inexpensive to produce and that allows at least one end cap to be locked in place yet readily removed from the package. In addition, a package design that allows for efficient product loading and/or package end cap placement is desirable. Further, what is desired in the art is clear package design that is more sustainable.

SUMMARY

The present display package may generally include a package sleeve and at least one first end cap slidably inserted into the package sleeve. The package sleeve may have at least one open sleeve end and may define at least one transparent viewing window. The package sleeve may also have at least one foldable end flap. Each respective end flap may extend directly from a given sleeve end and be foldable proximate thereto. Additionally, each first end cap may include a main cap section (i.e., a cap base) and at least one folding cap flap/side. More specifically, each cap flap may slidably impinge the package sleeve. Yet further, the main cap section may be positioned within the package sleeve. Also, each cap flap may extend from the main cap section and be foldable proximate thereto. Furthermore, each such cap flap may further have a lock slot associated therewith. Moreover, each end flap may be folded toward the main cap section. Additionally, a portion thereof may be inserted through a respective lock slot in the main cap section to hold a given end flap in place relative to the corresponding first end cap. Also, each cap flap may be designed to alter the shape of a package sleeve such as to increase the efficiency and ease of both the package assembly and product loading.

Other aspects of the disclosed display package will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the disclosed display package for carrying and displaying a product;

FIG. 2 is an isometric, perspective view of the display package of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a disassembled, perspective view of the display package of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a display package, generally disclosed as 10, may be used for carrying and displaying a product 12 (e.g., a jar, bottle, can, etc.). The display package 10 may include a package sleeve 14, a first package end cap 16, and second package end cap 18.

The package sleeve 14 may define an open-ended polyhedron having at least three sleeve sides 20 (of which, four are illustrated), with each sleeve side 20 being one of flat or curved. The package sleeve 14 further defines at least one open sleeve end 22. The package sleeve 14 may include at least one transparent window (not labeled) in order to facilitate viewing/display of the product 12. Thus, the package sleeve 14 could, for example, be formed of a plastic (e.g., polypropylene) or paperboard material, with at least one PLA or plastic window incorporated therein. Alternatively, the package sleeve 14 could be made (e.g., via direct forming, a die-cut process, etc.) entirely of a transparent material, with each sleeve side 20 effectively acting as a window (as illustrated). Further, it is to be understood that the material(s), thickness/gauge, window coloration, level of transparency, etc. may be chosen according to the application (e.g., desired package strength, presentation/appearance, etc.). As a further alternative, the package sleeve 14 could be produced without any sort of window therein, e.g., as part of a window-less package (not shown) or as part of a package in which one or both package end caps 16, 18, instead, employ a window (not shown). A window-less sleeve could, for example, be employed as part of a sustainable package effort and/or to allow for more printable space.

At least one sleeve side 20 has a respective sleeve flap 24 extending directly therefrom, relative to a given open sleeve end 22. In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and best seen in FIG. 3, a pair of sleeve flaps 24 may, for example, respectively extend from opposed flat sleeve sides 20. The opposed flat sleeve sides 20, further, may be shorter than the other opposed pair of sleeve sides 20 (e.g., curved sides 20 in the illustrated embodiment), such that the longer opposed pair of sleeve sides 20 effectively act as the main viewing panels for the product 12. It is to be understood that the sleeve sides 20, could also be the same length. By placing the sleeve flaps 24 at the shorter flat sleeve slides 20, the sleeve flaps 24 would interfere less with the viewing of the product 12 stored within the display package 10 (i.e., not be as readily seen when looking at the main face(s) of the display package 10). It is, however, to be understood that, alternatively, a given sleeve flap 24 could be attached to one of the other set of opposed pair of sleeve sides 20 (e.g., one of the curved ones in FIGS. 1-3). In fact, each sleeve side 20, potentially, could have a sleeve flap 24 associated therewith. Yet further, each sleeve flap 24 may also, respectively, particularly include a flap tab 25 at a free distal end thereof. Each respective flap tab 25 may be narrower in width than the corresponding sleeve flap 24 and, even further, may have rounded corners. Such narrowed width and/or rounded corners may aid a given flap tab 25 when in use.

One facet potential worth considering is how to facilitate the bending and/or folding a given sleeve flap 24 relative to the respective sleeve side 20. For one, having a given sleeve flap 24 extend from a flat sleeve side 20 instead of a curved one may allow for easier bending/folding of that given sleeve flap 24. Besides the possibility of connecting a given sleeve flap 24 relative to a flat sleeve side 20, at least one other means of promoting sleeve flap folding may be available. In particular, the sleeve flap 24 may be provided with a fold line 26, proximate a given open sleeve end 22 associated with a corresponding sleeve side 20. Each fold line 26 may, for example, defined by a scored and/or thinned joint at the connection of a given sleeve flap 24 and a corresponding sleeve side 20.

The first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may, respectively, be slidably inserted into the two opposed open sleeve ends 22 of the package sleeve 14. Given the nature of each of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18, it is understood that such elements may, for example, be considered to be an insert, end, and/or cap. Merely by way of example, as per FIGS. 1-3, the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may serve, respectively, as the top and bottom end caps for the display package 10.

At least one of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may include a cap/end base 28 and at least one cap side/flap 30 (e.g., four cap sides 30, as per FIGS. 1-3). Each cap side 30 may integrally extend from a given edge/side of the cap base 28. More particularly, the cap base 28 and the at least one cap side 30 may, for example, be molded together as a single piece or be die-cut and scored. In an instance where the cap base 28 and the at least one cap side 30 may be molded or die-cut as a single piece, the cap base 28 and the at least one cap side 30 may initially form a flat blank requiring folding to arrive at the final end cap shape or may, alternatively, in the case of molding be directly molded into the final end cap shape. If the at least one cap side 30 needs to be folded relative to the cap base 28 in order to arrive at the final end cap shape, each respective joint region between a given cap side 30 and the cap base 28 may, for example, be provided with scoring, a thinned region, and/or another means for easing folding thereat. Once the cap base 28 and the at least one cap side 30 are in their final alignment (especially, where a plurality of cap sides 30 are used), a given package end cap 16, 18 may have hollow-box construction, thereby, for one, helping to minimize the amount of material used for each such constructed end cap 16, 18. Furthermore, the first package end cap 16 and/or the second package end cap 18 may be formed, for example, of plastic (e.g., polypropylene), paperboard, or another similar sheet stock. The combination of the cap base/side configuration and the materials used for such may allow such end caps to be light weight and have a simple construction.

The first package end cap 16 and/or the second package end cap 18 may, in particular, include four sides, as per the illustrated example. In the illustrated example, each of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may have a pair of opposed flat cap sides 30 and, extending therebetween, a further pair of opposed curved/arcuate cap sides 30. Additionally, the cap base 28 of each of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may, as shown, present a curved/arcuate face. The arrangement of the flat cap sides 30 and the curved cap sides 30 may particularly be chosen so as to facilitate a slide mounting/fit of a given package end cap 16, 18 in a respective open sleeve end 22 of the package sleeve 14. More broadly considered the individual cap sides 30 could potentially be flat, curved, wavy, etc., and/or, in total, be of any number. Also, it is to be understood that the geometry (e.g., flat, curved, etc.) of a given cap side 30 may be yielded by, e.g., the initial blank forming process, a folding process, etc., so long as the final desired shape results. Such cap sides 30 may be chosen, for example, so as, at least in part, to facilitate insertion (e.g., a slide fit) thereof into a given open sleeve end 22 and/or to influence the shape (e.g., deflect) of a corresponding sleeve side 20. Such insertion could, for example, be achieved by providing sleeve sides 20 that generally mate with the respective cap sides 30 (i.e., similarly configured in shape and/or number). Such insertion could also change an initially flat sleeve side into a curved sleeve side.

At least one of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may be configured, upon insertion thereof into a given open sleeve end 22 of the package sleeve 14, to be locked in place relative to the package sleeve 14 via at least one sleeve flap 24 and, potentially, more particularly, via a given flap tab 25. In particular, a given folded/shaped end cap 16, 18 may be inserted cap base 28 first, so that the hollow portion of the given folded/shaped end cap 16, 18 opens outwardly toward the corresponding open sleeve end 22. Upon insertion in this manner, a given sleeve flap 24 may be folded inwardly toward the sleeve interior and the hollow portion of the given folded/shaped end cap 16, 18. Folding a given sleeve flap 24 as such would cause it, ultimately, to overlap the corresponding cap side 30, with the sleeve fold line 26 and adjoining sleeve and sleeve flap regions acting to retain a given cap side 30 within the package sleeve 14.

At least one of the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18 may be further provided with at least one lock slot 32, each lock slot 32 being configured for lockingly receiving a respective sleeve flap 24 and, potentially, more particularly, a given flap tab 25. Depending at least in part on the length of the corresponding sleeve flap 24, a given lock slot 32 may be located in the cap base 28, the corresponding cap side 30, or at the joint therebetween. Each lock slot 32 should be sized (e.g., width) so as to be able to lockingly receive an end portion (e.g., a given flap tab 25, if such flap tabs 25 are available) of the respective sleeve flap 24 therein, with the given sleeve flap 24 being able to click into place. As such, the flap tab width and/or rounded corners may aid in the insertion thereof into a corresponding lock slot 32. The sleeve flap 24/lock slot 32 combination may be released, by pressing gently on the end cap adjacent to the locking location (e.g. right in front or just to either side). The pressure applied at this location allows the sleeve flap to pop out of the end cap lack slot and a user to then be able lift the unlocked sleeve flap and remove the end cap. An alternate means to open the end package could be for example, by pressing on the opposed long sides of package sleeve 14 (i.e., the sides interposed between the sleeve flaps 24) until each flap tab 25 snaps out locking engagement with a corresponding lock slot 32. Yet, alternatively, the lock release could potentially be achieved by a user pulling a sleeve flap 24 out of the corresponding lock slot 32. Accordingly, the folding of a given sleeve flap 24 over an edge of a corresponding cap side 30 and then inserting of an end (e.g., a flap tab 25) of the given sleeve flap 24 into a respective lock slot 28 may facilitate the fastening of the given end cap 16, 18 in place within the corresponding open sleeve end 22.

A given cap base 28 may, yet further, include a main base section 34 and a pair of opposed secondary base sections 36. The main base section 34 may be configured for impinging and resisting a corresponding face (not labeled) of the product 12. Additionally, upon assembly of the display package 10 with the product 12 therein, the shortest distance between the opposed main base sections 34 of the respective end caps 16, 18 may be about the height of the product 10 or slightly less (i.e., yielding a resilient, force fit therebetween). Further, each secondary base section 36 may particularly serve, respectively, to interconnect the main base section 34 with a corresponding cap side 30. To facilitate such respective interconnections, each secondary base section 36 may have a pair of base fold lines 38 associated therewith, with one such base fold line 38 providing a foldable link with the main base section 34 and the other providing a foldable connection with the corresponding cap side 30. A given base fold line 38 could be, for example, defined by a scored and/or thinned joint between otherwise integral portions.

The main base section 34 and the opposed secondary base sections 36 may, potentially, be designed in a manner so as to facilitate the release of a given flap tab 25 from a respective lock slot 32 while at the same time effectively increasing the stiffness of the given cap base 28. One such configuration may be seen from the illustrated embodiment. In particular, the folding relative to the opposed secondary base sections 36 may yield a convexly bowed/curved main base section 34 (i.e., the bowing being directed away from the given end cap 16, 18). The convex bowing/curvature may facilitate the selectable relative motion (e.g., rocking action and/or face flexure) of a given main base section 34, for example, with respect to the product 12. Such relative motion can, in turn, aid in the release of a given flap tab 25 from a corresponding lock slot 32. Besides possibly aiding the release process, the convexity of the given main base section 34 may improve the stiffness thereof, thereby helping to resist sagging when a product 12 is positioned between the first package end cap 16 and the second package end cap 18.

One base layout for yielding a convex main base section 34 may be seen from the figures, especially FIG. 3. Each given base fold line 38 providing a foldable link between a given secondary base section 36 and the main base section 34 may be curved/arcuate. Each such base fold line 38 may be curved inwardly (i.e., concavely) toward the main base section and, concordantly, curved outwardly from the corresponding secondary base section 36. Upon folding relative to a given base fold line 38 that is curved in this manner, the main base section 34 may tend to bow outwardly away from the corresponding package end cap 16, 18, while the secondary base section 36 may tend to curve inwardly theretoward.

Yet further, each given base fold line 38 providing a foldable link between a given secondary base section 36 and a corresponding cap side 30 may be curved/arcuate, as well. Such a base fold line 38 may, particularly, be curved outwardly relative to the given secondary base section 36 (i.e., concave relative to the respective cap side 30). If so curved, the related secondary base section 36 will tend to be concave relative to the corresponding package end cap 16, 18, while the respective cap side 30 will tend to be convex thereto. The convexity of a given cap side 30 may improve the stiffness thereof and also promote convex curvature in the corresponding sleeve side 20. Moreover, such convexity in both a given cap side 30 and a corresponding sleeve side 20 may help make the overall display package 10 more resistant to impact/crushing. Finally, the resulting overall shape of a chosen secondary base section 36 having the base fold lines 38, as illustrated, may be, for example, described as being a dual-pointed oval (i.e., football-shaped). It is, however, to be understood that other shapes might be employed for the chosen secondary base section 36, if such a section is used at all.

Further embodiments and variations may be possible and still be within the scope of the present display package 10. For one, the first package end cap 16 and/or the second package end cap 18 may be further sealed to the package sleeve 14, e.g., via tape, adhesive/glue, etc., as needed for improved mounting strength, child safety, etc. Secondly, additional structure could be associated with at least one cap base 28 (e.g., extension/protrusion, hole(s)/slot(s), etc.) to better hold a product in place within the display package 10. Also, while the illustrated design may rely on the product 12 to limit the distance each end cap 16, 18 can slide into the package sleeve 14, it is to be understood that additional structure could be provided (e.g., a stop member (not shown) on the interior of the package sleeve 14) to limit such sliding.

Furthermore, it may be understood that the inserted portion of a given sleeve flap 24 may be narrower than the remainder thereof, with the width difference acting as a mechanical stop (i.e., limiting a flap-insertion distance). Also, it is to be understood that the inserted portion of a given sleeve flap 24 could be slightly wider than the corresponding lock slot 32 to thereby effect an interference/force fit therebetween for improved locking Yet additionally, it is to be understood that the sleeve sides 20, individually or collectively, could potentially be, e.g., flat, curved, wavy, etc., and could attain such shape via an initial forming process and/or as a by-product of assembly (e.g., the insertion of an arcuate-faced cap could cause bowing/curving thereof). Further, with respect to the sleeve sides 20, the size (e.g., length, width) and overall shape (e.g., rectangle, square) may be chosen based on the particular application (e.g., based, in part, on the sizes and shapes of the product 12 and/or the end caps 16, 18). 

1. A package comprising: a package sleeve and one or more end caps, wherein the package sleeve has one or more foldable end flaps, further wherein the one or more end caps has a main cap section and one or more folding cap flaps.
 2. A package of claim 1, wherein the one or more end caps have one or more locking slots.
 2. The package of claim 1 wherein the one or more foldable end flaps are positioned on the sides of the package sleeve.
 3. The package of claim 1, wherein the package sleeve is rectangular.
 4. The package of claim 3 wherein there are two foldable end flaps.
 5. The package of claim 4, wherein the two foldable end flaps are positioned on the two shorter sides of the package sleeve.
 6. The package of claim 1 wherein the one or more foldable end flaps extend from the package sleeve and are formed from a fold line at the top of the package sleeve.
 7. The package of claim 1, wherein the end flaps fold inward towards the interior of the package.
 6. The package of claim 2, wherein the one or more end cap locking slots lockingly receive a foldable end flap.
 8. The package of claim 2, wherein the foldable end flaps are narrower at the locking end than at the fold-line end.
 9. The package of claim 8, wherein the one or more foldable end flaps has notches near the locking end.
 10. The package of claim 9, wherein the one or more foldable end flap is slightly larger than the one or more locking slots.
 11. The package of claim 1, wherein the base end cap is adhered to the package sleeve.
 12. The package of claim 1, wherein the top end cap is removably locked in place.
 13. The package of claim 1, wherein the main cap section of the one or more end caps has one or more curved sides.
 14. The package of claim 13, wherein the one or more end caps are rectangular.
 15. The package of claim 14, wherein the one or more curved sides are on one or more of the two long sides of the rectangular end cap.
 16. The package of claim 1, wherein the one or more end caps are unlocked by lightly pressing on the one or more end caps near the locking slot.
 17. A package comprising: a package sleeve and an end cap, wherein the package sleeve has one or more foldable flaps; and further wherein the one or more end caps comprises: a main cap section, one or more folding cap flaps, and one or more locking slots.
 18. The package of claim 16, wherein the package sleeve and the one or more end caps are made of one or more of the following materials or any combination thereof: plastic substrates, paperboard substrates, and/or treated paper board. 